Makeup
Hi guys!
So I intended to do this post tomorrow. However, I can't sleep and so I'm doing this at 2.30am.
Now I had intended to do a combined makeup/skincare favourites of 2013 post, but I just had way too many products and so I decided to split it in two so that the posts weren't too lengthy.
I have mentioned before that I do work for No7 so this is a little disclaimer of sorts just to say that I am in no way promoting some of these products on behalf of the company. I have only included products that I have picked up and used loads throughout the year and that I genuinely really love. If I don't like a No7 product (which does happen, although not all that often) I won't pretend that I do. It's just not the type of person that I am and I won't recommend products that I wouldn't or don't use myself.
Also, I do apologise for the poor photo quality! I took them on my phone which was probably not the best idea, but my camera is at home and I'm currently staying at my flat at uni. So I promise the next time (after my skincare favs post) I'll have nice pretty photos!
Oh and I'll link the products at the bottom :)
And so, without further ado!
First up are three primers/makeup bases that I have switched between on and off throughout the year. I had a real trouble trying to decide which one was my favourite or even my most used this year, so I gave up and I've included them all.
First is the Smashbox Photo Finish More Than a Primer Blemish Control. Whew, that is a mouthful! Now I used the Smashbox original Photo Finish Primer before this and I was really happy with. But, I do get quite bad breakouts and when I seen this I just had to try it out, and I love it! It applies really nicely and makes my skin feel soft and silky. The big bonus with this is that when I'm using it I really do see a difference in the frequency and longevity of my breakouts. A massive thumbs up for this one!
Second is the No7 Airbrush Away Primer. Now this is a product that I never really used when it was launched. It came out in I think 2011 but at the time I was really happy with the primer I was already using. Fast track 3 years and I don't know where I'd be without it. This primer helps put the skin into "soft focus". It's really aimed at people with lines and wrinkles and it really helps to fill them in and make them look less noticeable. But I find it really helps reduce the appearance of my pores. I know this is probably an unpopular opinion but the Benefit Porefessional never really agreed with my skin and this product really does.
And the third product is the No7 Beautifully Matte Makeup Base. This is a really old fashioned makeup base but it works wonders for me. My skin is really just normal other than my nose which is super oily and my makeup always wears off there. I bought this about a year and a half ago and I really didn't like it, it made my skin feel tight and I just couldn't get it to work for me. I left it in my drawer and in the summer I picked it up and decided to give it another try and I'm super happy that I did. Now I just pat a tiny amount on my nose after my primer and my makeup just sits beautifully on top of it and stays put, finally!
My HERO product of 2013 is definitely my Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation.
I was always happy with the foundation I was using before but I'm definitely a full coverage kind of girl and I was really looking for something a bit more coverage and someone recommended I try this. I went into this completely blind, I'm not a fan of shopping at makeup counters because I like to shop on my own and I feel bad telling the advisors that I don't need any help, so I bought this online and just guessed my shade. But everything turned out great and the shade was a great match for me which just made my day when it arrived. This gives really full coverage with a great semi-matte finish and the lasting power is phenomenal. I've come in from nights out, pretty drunk and super tired, and fallen into bed with a full face still on and woken up with it still there and nothing on the sheets (woooooo!). I just love how my skin looks and feels with this on and it's become a permanent staple in my makeup collection.
The next two products I cannot live without! The Sleek Face Contour Kit in Light and the Sleek Blush in the shade Flamingo.
The contour kit has really changed my face. Before I owned this product I didn't really contour at all and my face ended up looking pretty flat after I'd done my foundation. But since I've started using this my whole face of makeup has looked so much better! The products are really silky and sit well on the skin.
This blush is the most pigmented blush ever. It's so pink and the colour pay off, as you can see in the swatch above, is amazing. I love how it feels on the skin and the fact that the colour is buildable so you can really customise your own level of pinkness. Another great point about this blusher is the fact that it is very blendable and just sits seamlessly on my foundation.
Now the next product is one that only came out a couple of months ago but I found myself constantly reaching for over the festive season. They are the No7 Stay Perfect Shade and Define.
Now I have this in three colours (which was all that was available) but now there's another six shade as of today. Unfortunately the silver one I've featured was a limited edition that was just around for Christmas. And that makes me super sad because I love it so much, especially paired with the black shimmer one for an easy, effortless smokey eye. The great thing about these is their staying power. When applying they're super creamy and blendable. But once on the skin for a few minutes they dry and are essentially unmoveable unless you use an oil based eye makeup remover. They are fantastic for nights out and work great in the awful Scottish weather. The colour pay off for these is amazing, they are super pigmented and really shimmery. A few of the newer shades are matte if you prefer your eye colours without the shimmer, but personally I love shimmery and glittery things!
Next up is a lip crayon.
This is the No7 High Shine Lip Crayon in the shade Delicate Pink. Since it launched in the summer I've worn it most days. It's just got a great balance between colour and gloss. It feels lovely on the lips and it looks really natural. A great thing about this is that throughout the day as the gloss wears off it leaves a slight stain on the lips minimising the need to reapply. I've loved it for everyday wear when I don't want to look too made up. This colour really works well for me, it's a sort of 'my lips but better' shade.
Last but certainly not least, we have my favourite lipstick of all time! No7 Stay Perfect Lipstick in the shade Sultry.
It's a really gorgeous dark red shade that looks great against my pale skin. Now the formulation of this is really amazing, when applying it it's really soft and creamy but it dries to a powder/matte finish and stays put all day/night. This is my go to product when I want to look like I've put in a lot more effort that I actually have (using a red lipstick really is the best way to cheat that "I've spent hours to look this good" look).
Well that's it for my makeup favourites of 2013. Now I do realise that there are a lot of No7 products mentioned, but this is because I really do love them and I use them practically everyday :)
I'll post up my favourite/most used skincare of 2013 tomorrow at some point between my uni work. Who said procrastination has to be unproductive?
Let me know in the comments what you think and what else you would like to see?
Amy x
Smashbox More Than a Primer Blemish Control £28.00:
http://www.smashbox.co.uk/product/6038/26025/Face/Primer/PHOTO-FINISH-MORE-THAN-PRIMER-BLEMISH-CONTROL/New/index.tmpl
No7 Airbrush Away Primer £19.50:
http://www.boots.com/en/No7-Airbrush-Away-Primer-30ml_1244077/
No7 Beautifully Matte Makeup Base £10.50:
http://www.boots.com/en/No7-Beautifully-Matte-Make-up-Base-40ml_1273623/
Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation £28.50:
http://www.esteelauder.co.uk/product/643/3894/Product-Catalog/Makeup/Face/Foundations/Double-Wear/Stay-in-Place-Makeup-SPF-10/index.tmpl
Sleek Contour Kit £6.49:
http://www.boots.com/en/Sleek-Face-Contour-Kit_1395740/
Sleek Blush £4.49:
http://www.boots.com/en/Sleek-Blush_1395726/
No7 Stay Perfect Shade and Define £8.00:
http://www.boots.com/en/No7-Stay-Perfect-Shade-and-Define_1407586/
No7 High Shine Lip Crayon £9.00:
http://www.boots.com/en/No7-High-Shine-Lip-Crayon_1310100/
No7 Stay Perfect Lipstick £9.75:
http://www.boots.com/en/No7-Stay-Perfect-Lipstick_1273595/ (shade 9)
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